From the NCFD website: The National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) recently launched a new toolkit to assess state government preparedness in the event of a food emergency. The Food and Agriculture Readiness Measurement (FARM) Toolkit identifies areas of strength and opportunities for improvement within each state through a comprehensive survey. Based on the assessment, FARM Toolkit generates targeted resources to close state preparedness gaps through funding opportunities, best practices, training information, and general references. Upon submission of their assessment, states receive a customized State Briefing report to highlight the specific strengths and opportunities within each state, as well as how they compare to the national averages.

State agencies are encouraged to work in partnership to contribute to the FARM Toolkit survey. The Toolkit and its resources are aligned with the Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD 8), which offers states an organized strategy to enhance prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery activities. Non-attributable, aggregate data is available at the regional and federal level to demonstrate strengths in the country's preparedness and highlight areas where additional effort is necessary. Through collaboration and cooperation, the states, the federal government, and the private industry can improve food emergency preparedness.

The complex, globalized network of food supply makes food especially vulnerable to both unintentional and intentional threats. Continued food threats from economically motivated adulteration, natural disasters, accidental foodborne illness outbreaks, and intentional contamination threats highlight the importance of preparedness for all food contingencies. Tightening government budgets in the food and agriculture sectors present new challenges in creation, maintenance, and execution of emergency preparedness plans. FARM Toolkit is a fundamental step in building and maintaining the necessary capabilities to protect our national food and agriculture system from threats and hazards harmful to human and economic health.

NCFPD is offering two webinars in September to help state and local agencies learn more.
September 24, 1pm CST (2pm EST)
September 26, 1pm CST (2pm EST)
Recordings will be available after webinar dates.
Register for the Webinars here.